The present invention relates to an instrument panel used for automobiles, and more in particular to an instrument panel usable for both a right-hand drive vehicle and a left-hand drive vehicle.
In Japan, running automobiles are required to keep to the left and therefore the steering wheel of the automobiles is installed on the right side of the vehicle body. In Europe and U.S.A. where the vehicles run keeping to the right, in contrast, the steering wheel is arranged on the left side of the vehicle body. As a result, the automobiles manufactured in Japan are divided into those for the domestic market required to have the steering wheel on the right side of the vehicle body (hereinafter called the right-hand drive vehicles), and those for exports to have the steering wheel on the left side of the vehicle body (hereinafter called the left-hand drive vehicles). Accordingly, the instrument panel on which the meter unit, the glove box and other parts are mounted must be supplied in two types for the right-hand drive vehicles and left-hand drive vehicles. This leads to the disadvantage of a high production cost of the instrument panel.
In view of this, an instrument panel has been suggested which allows the steering wheel apparatus to be mounted either on the right side or on the left side thereof as described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication H02-34982. This instrument panel has a notch on each of the right and left sides thereof through which a steering shaft is installed. A support bar for supporting the equipment such as the glove box is suspended between the right and left edges of each notch. This support bar includes a main bar and an auxiliary bar. The right-hand drive vehicle has the meter unit arranged on the right side and the glove box on the left side of the vehicle, while the left-hand drive vehicle has the meter unit arranged on the left side and the glove box on the right side of the vehicle.
The above-mentioned instrument panel, which has the notches to pass the steering shaft therethrough symmetrically on the right and left positions, is usable for both the right-hand drive vehicle and the left-hand drive vehicle. In spite of this, this instrument panel is not symmetric at the upper part thereof where the meter unit is mounted. In the conventional instrument panel, therefore, a hole for mounting the meter unit is required to be formed at the right or left part of the instrument panel in accordance with the (right or left) position of the steering wheel. The resulting problem is consumption of a larger processing time.
Another problem of the above-mentioned well-known instrument panel is a low rigidity due to the large opening area of the notches. Specifically, the low rigidity of the instrument panel is liable to distort the surrounding portions of the notches, often resulting in the distance changing between the right and left edges of the notch. Then, the glove box could not be accommodated in the notch or a large gap would occur between the edges of the notch and the glove box, thereby deteriorating the external appearance. Also, the low rigidity of the instrument panel causes the instrument panel to vibrate and develop noises due to the vibrations of the running vehicle and the vibrations of the engine thereof.
These problems can be solved by increasing the rigidity of the instrument panel. For the rigidity of the instrument panel to be increased, however, such measures as attaching a reinforcing member to the instrument panel or increasing the rigidity of the meter unit or the glove box are required. This leads to the problems of an increased number of manufacturing steps and a higher cost of production of the instrument panel.